Bill would force colleges to give credit for online courses

California’s public college and university students struggling to get the classes they need to graduate may soon have more options with a statewide system of online courses.

Under a bill by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, faculty members from California’s three higher education systems — community colleges, California State University and the University of California — could approve up to 50 courses that could be offered online as alternatives to high-demand courses that often fill up.

Steinberg said online courses are necessary tools to help meet the needs of students in the state.